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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25525792">the medicine of love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wnkyuns/pseuds/wnkyuns'>wnkyuns</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bokuto Koutarou is a Good Friend, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Humor, He's Just Not Very Good At It, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, Sick Akaashi Keiji, Sickfic, bokuto is silly, but he loves akaashi and wants to take care of him, but it's okay bc akaashi loves him sm, maybe the mask thing is venting abt this stupid pandemic too lmao, wear your masks.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:41:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,436</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25525792</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wnkyuns/pseuds/wnkyuns</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>However, life is a very cruel mistress. Winter time is a pretty easy season to get sick in, and Akaashi’s luck seems to have run out.</p><p>[ BOKUAKA WEEK DAY 7 | <strike>hurt/comfort</strike> / <strong>sick days</strong> / <strike>soulmate au</strike> ]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Bokuaka Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the medicine of love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Akaashi is very careful when it comes to taking care of himself. It’s not that he’s a germaphobe or anything of the sort, but he doesn’t enjoy being sick. After all, who does? He makes sure to wash his hands regularly, uses medicine whenever he’s feeling a bit off, and always takes precautions around those who are sick. He just simply doesn’t want to have to deal with the repercussions of being sick, nor does he want to have to bother the team by ending up sick. He doesn’t want Bokuto to worry about him, either.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, life is a very cruel mistress. Winter time is a pretty easy season to get sick in, and Akaashi’s luck seems to have run out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s barely noticeable, at first. Akaashi sometimes feels a little tickle at the back of his throat, but he pays it no mind, offering it up to the way he and his teammates have to yell during practice. He sniffs sometimes, scrunching up his nose and rubbing at it. It tends to feel a bit colder than usual, but it doesn’t bother Akaashi in the slightest. He feels these slight changes, but he puts them in the back of his mind. He drinks more water and is careful to keep himself warm enough, but despite all his trying, Akaashi’s unlucky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cold hits him like a brick wall. One night after practice, he goes home and does his usual routine, showering and taking care of his body before he heads to sleep. He makes sure to text Bokuto to tell him not to stay up too late, receiving a flurry of texts in response, which makes him smile. He’s easily pulled into sleep as soon as he lays down, letting out a small sigh of content.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wakes up in the morning feeling like death. His head is heavy as he tries to sit up in bed, he can’t breath through his nose, and his chest is aching. Akaashi can barely make any noise as he slowly shifts around on his bed. He feels exhausted and light-headed, a thick pulse going through his skull as his eyes adjust to the bright rays flowing through his window. He opens his mouth and tries to call out to his mom, but the moment he does, nothing comes out. His throat is raw and it </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurts</span>
  </em>
  <span> when he tries to speak.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi forces himself up out of his bed, stumbling about, heading out of his room. When he walks out into his home’s living room, connected to the kitchen, his mother sees him and gasps softly. He figures he must look as bad as he feels.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Keiji! Oh, my darling, you look awful… come here, let me feel you.” his mother speaks softly as she urges him towards him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi doesn’t deny his mother, simply wobbling over to her until he feels the back of her hand land against his forehead. It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>so cool</span>
  </em>
  <span> and it’s then that Akaashi realizes his body is burning up. Akaashi is too weak to argue with his mother as he allows her to lead him back to his room. He’s soon wrapped up inside of several blankets, despite his burning temperature, and his mother is on the phone, calling his school and letting them know that he won’t be coming in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The black haired male lets himself rest in his bed, eyes staring off into space in the direction of his wall. Akaashi doesn't know when, but at some point, he falls back asleep again. His body is burning up, sweating out his sickness already. He also doesn’t know how long he’s asleep, before his mother is waking him up again with a warm cup of tea. His throat is dry and it feels raw, it hurts to swallow, he notices, as he carefully sits himself up. The tea burns his mouth a bit, but it feels </span>
  <em>
    <span>heavenly</span>
  </em>
  <span> going down his throat. He thanks his mother quietly, finally being able to speak at just a whisper.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll have some soup and dumplings for you soon, darling. You make sure to get your rest, alright?” his mother says, carefully soothing back his hair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s wet and damp, he can tell. His mother reaches down beside the bed and lifts up a wet cloth, squeezing it a bit gently to wring it out, before folding it and carefully placing it on Akaashi’s forehead. Akaashi gives her a small, weak smile before she exits his room. Then, Akaashi’s eyes widen with realization.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His team. They most likely haven’t heard about him not coming in yet. Of course, Bokuto has likely noticed that Akaashi wasn’t in school, though. Carefully, Akaashi wriggles himself out of his blanket cocoon and reaches out to grab his cell phone from his nightstand. He coughs as he pulls himself back into his bed, slowly sitting up, curled up into himself. He quickly taps on his phone, opening it, and sees that a barrage of messages are waiting for him. He can’t help but smile to himself, unlocking his phone to get to his messages.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All of the messages are from Bokuto.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bokuto-san: AKAASHI!!! where r u???</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bokuto-san: yr pretty late today!!!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bokuto-san: oh no i just heard from yukippe!!! yr sick???</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bokuto-san: im gonna come over after school today!!!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The timestamps are from the morning time, around 9AM. Akaashi moves his eyes up to the clock in the corner of the screen, noting that it’s a little after noon now. He coughs as he moves around on his bed, keeping himself curled up within his blankets, typing out a few responses to Bokuto’s texts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Me: Bokuto-san, it’s alright.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Me: I’m very sick, so it wouldn’t be wise for you to come either way.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Me: We can’t have you getting sick on the team as well.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi coughs dryly, his throat tightening up on him. He presses the wet cloth against his forehead, closing his eyes for a moment. He opens them again and reaches out to his night stand, gently grabbing the glass of water that his mother left there. It’s not cold, but it’s not warm; just room temperature. It feels </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> going down either way. He sighs out heavily as he sets the glass back down, lying back against his bed as he waits for any response from Bokuto. It doesn’t take too long, not surprisingly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bokuto-san: its okay kaashi!!!!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bokuto-san: i want 2 make sure yr okay!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bokuto-san: so ill be over after school!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bokuto-san: &amp; ill even wear my mask!!! promise</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi sighs to himself, letting out a cough after. He’s too sick to argue too much, and he knows that Bokuto really won’t take no for an answer. He simply shakes his head to himself, pulling his phone up again and messaging back, slight smile on his lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Me: Alright, Bokuto-san.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Me: Just please be sure to take necessary precautions once you’re back home.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi waits for a minute, before he types up another message.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Me: Thank you for wanting to check on me, Bokuto-san.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bokuto-san: its no problem!!!! yr my setter</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bokuto-san: and my best friend!!!! its my job to check on u in times like this</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bokuto-san: so hang in there!!!!! ill be there soon!!!!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The setter can’t help but smile wide, sighing as he rests his phone against his forehead. He’s really not sure how he’s going to fare with Bokuto coming to “look after him,” but he figures he’ll worry about that later when it’s time for it. He calls out to his mother as best he can, causing himself some more coughing, and he drinks so water to cool his throat. He tells her that Bokuto is coming to visit after school, and to wake him if he ends up asleep by the time Bokuto arrives.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He is, without a doubt, asleep when Bokuto arrives. Akaashi’s mother opens the door once there’s a knock, opening it to greet a bright-eyed Bokuto as he gives her a bow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Akaashi-san! I came to see ‘Kaashi, if it’s okay!” He says, smiling behind his mask.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi’s mother gives a soft laugh, nodding as she gestures for Bokuto to come in. “Yes, yes, Keiji told me that you’d be stopping by. Thank you for wearing your mask, we surely wouldn’t want you getting sick, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bokuto laughs as he enters the house, making sure to step out of his shoes and leave them neatly by the door. “It’s no problem! I think there might just be something going around, I hear some other kids got sick at school, too. I guess ‘Kaashi got it without realizing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you’re probably right,” Akaashi’s mother says, humming quietly. “He’s likely in his room asleep, so you’re free to go back and visit. If you’d like, I’m making some soup and dumplings to help him, and you’re free to stay and eat if you’re comfortable enough doing so.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bokuto beams towards the woman, nodding as he bows to her once more. “Thank you, Akaashi-san! I’d love to!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi’s mother smiles wide, laughing as she makes her way back into the kitchen. Bokuto struts down the hallway then, headed right to where he knows Akaashi’s room is. The door is cracked, so Bokuto peers through the crack for just a moment, only to see Akaashi laying there in bed. Well… he can’t really </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span> him, but he knows that Akaashi is there underneath the swell of blankets that’s on his bed. Bokuto smiles to himself, gently pushing the door open as he makes his way in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He moves over to the bed and sits on the edge carefully, behind the opening Akaashi’s bent legs have made. Bokuto reaches up and over, leaning across Akaashi’s blanketed body to touch his forehead gently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘Kaashi,” Bokuto says gently, stroking his hand across Akaashi’s forehead. “‘Kaashi, it’s me!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bokuto’s voice seems to lure Akaashi out of his deep slumber. The male on the bed twists and turns until he’s fully facing Bokuto’s body, eyes clouded with sleep still as he slowly blinks it away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi’s voice is low and raspy, obviously strained from his sickness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bokuto hushes him back down through his mask, grinning behind it as he finally gets a look at Akaashi’s face. He’s obviously sick, skin paler than usual, and Bokuto can tell there’s an odd claminess to it that usually isn’t there. He can tell Akaashi has been sweating, too, but it doesn’t deter him from leaning in and pressing their foreheads together.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t,” Akaashi mutters, squinting at Bokuto some. “You’ll get sick, too… if you get too close to me…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bokuto only grins more behind his mask, shrugging, head tilting slightly. “It’ll be worth it.” He leans back, sitting up some more now as he runs his hand through Akaashi’s hair. It’s damp and full of sweat, most likely, but Bokuto doesn’t mind. It reminds him of how Akaashi looks and feels after they’ve finished a game. “How are you feeling?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi doesn’t answer right away. His mind is foggy with sickness, and he honestly doesn’t really know how he’s feeling. “...death.” is all he says, and it makes Bokuto laugh out loud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I bet. You kinda look like it, too.” Bokuto quips, grinning, and Akaashi can’t be mad.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your mom invited me to stay for dinner, s’that okay with you?” Bokuto asks, shifting himself off of the bed. He reaches down and grabs the abandoned cloth that Akaashi had been using for his forehead, and Akaashi only nods.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, it’s fine, Bokuto-san… especially if my mom is the one who asked you to stay.” Akaashi answers, slowly shifting to sit up in his bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looks cute, Bokuto thinks and notices, smiling under his mask at the way Akaashi is hunched over in his bed, blanket rising high over his shoulders and up the back of his head. He looks like some old witch from a Disney movie, which amuses Bokuto greatly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me get you new water,” Bokuto mumbles softly, reaching out to grab the now empty glass from Akaashi’s side table. Akaashi merely nods, tired eyes watching Bokuto as he leaves his room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi worms his way out of his pile of blankets, body relieving in the colder air that comes with being released from the cocoon. He sighs out some, starting to stretch out his body when Bokuto enters, glass of water in one hand and a fresh damp cloth in the other. Bokuto grins crookedly behind his mask, but Akaashi can see it clearly even with the mask in play. He takes both things from Bokuto with a soft thank you, taking a big gulp of water before he places the cloth against his forehead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your clothes look super gross,” Bokuto chuckles, stepping over to Akaashi’s closet. “Come on, let’s get you changed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi doesn’t fight against it. He lets Bokuto pick out new clothes for him, and allows him to help him change. It’s a bit awkward, but nothing they’ve never really seen or done before. Since they’re on a sports team together, they’ve seen each other change a million times now. This is different, though, with Bokuto being so close and personal and actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>touching him</span>
  </em>
  <span> to help him dress. It’s not unwelcome, but it’s definitely hard on Akaashi’s heart. He’s just glad he’s sick, so that he can use it to blame the redness he knows is on his cheeks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s dressed and feeling much more refreshed now, just in time for his mother to call to them and tell them that dinner’s ready. Akaashi doesn’t know how lucky he got, to have Bokuto here with him and willingly helping him. As they sit around the Akaashi dining table, with Bokuto’s voice booming throughout the house and his mother smiling, obvious adoration on her face for the boy, Akaashi feels the love inside of him boil over, his heart burning, and he knows then that Bokuto will be everything he could ever need and more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi recovers from his sickness a week later, with careful care of himself and his mother helping him. Bokuto visited every day to help with his healing process, as well, always bringing smiles and laughter. A week after Akaashi has recovered, Bokuto is one of the student victims who falls ill to the sickness, as well. Akaashi knows it’s because of him, but Bokuto would never allow him to feel bad or sorry about it. Instead, he goes and visits Bokuto while he’s sick as well, and takes care of him, using all of the love in his heart to help cure him.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>my <a href="https://twitter.com/koushuusbf">twitter</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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